Folding hood for automobiles.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905. H. RAPHAEL & E. D. TOOPS. FOLDING HOOD FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1905.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFTQR.

FOLDING HOOD FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed .Tune 2l, 1905. Serial No. 266,203.

To f/,ZZ whom, it Netty concern.'

Be it known that we, HARRY RAPHAEL and EiioRY D. Toors, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Automobile-Hoods; and we do declare the followin gl to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to hoods that are applied to automobiles and cover the engines and connected machinery thereof, and the invention has particular reference to hoods that may be folded compactly at the sides of the vehicle when it may be desired to uncover the engine and machinery.

Objects of the invention are to provide an automobile-hood which may be quickly gotten out of the way when it may be necessary to inspectthe engine or make adjustments or repairs thereon and to provide an automobilehood which may be removed from its covering position and be compactly folded and conveniently carried when it may be desired to expose the engine to the air to more thoroughly cool the cylinders of explosive-engines when such are employed during long country trips of such vehicles.

Another object is to provide an improved construction in hoods whereby the hot air from the engines may be permitted to freely escape while cool air enters the hood.

The invention consists in an automobilehood of improved construction and arrangement comprising two principal folding parts, each part secured on a side of the vehicleframe and composed of a plurality of sections hinged together, the two parts meeting above the engine and provided with latching devices and adapted to fold down upon the vehicleframe at opposite sides of the engine; and the invention consists, further, in the parts and the combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of an automobile, illustrating the application and arrangement of the improved hood; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view taken near the front of the hood looking forwardly, showing the hood provided with a ventilator-deck; Fig. 3, a top plan of the improved hood applied to the vehicle; Fig. 4,

a fragmentary front elevation showing the hood folded; Fig. 5, an end elevation of a modified form of hood constructed without a ventilator-deck, and Fig. 6 a perspective View of two connected sections of the hood.

Similar reference characters in the several figures of the drawings designate corresponding elements or features.

In the drawings, A designates the foldinghood as a whole provided with a ventilatordeck B, and A', Fig. 5, designates the folding hood constructed without the ventilatordeck; a, the dashboard of the vehicle; b, the radiator-grating having a case c; d and CZ', the vehicle-frame side bars; e and e', the machinery-frame supported on the side bars. The ventilator-deck is attached to the crown portion of the hood, rising above the top thereof, and has, besides a top, an end having apertures f and sides having apertures g. The ventilator-deck may be of any desired length relative to the body of the hood and of suitable width so as to be folded in the spaces that may be available, and it may comprise two or more sections, two being usually convenient, hinged to the parts of the hood-body,

the parting of the hood being at 7, Fig. 3, at

the median line of the vehicle.

The two principal parts of the hood are each composed of a base-section, as 7L or it', shaped to suit the vehicle-frame or the engine-frame` to which it may be designed to be secured,

and a plurality of hinged sections of suitable width, some of which may be flat and others concavo-convex in cross-section, depending upon the contour of the hood that is required for any particular type of vehicle. The section j, adjoining the base-section, is connected thereto preferably by a hinge L', that projects externally, the hinge-rod 7c being outside of the exterior of the sections, and every alternate hinge is preferably so formed. The next adjoining section j is connected to the section j preferably by a hinge that projects inwardly, the hinge-rod Z thereof being inside of the line of the sections, and every alternate hinge is preferably so formed. This formation and arrangement of hinges affords advantages in folding the hood. The joint edges of the hood are supported by a ridgebar t', with which such vehicles are usually provided, the ends of the hood being supported and held in proper shape by arches that are ordinarily attached to the dashboards and also to the radiator-grating frame. The sections mv and m', Fig. 6, illustrate clearly the forma- IOO IIO

tion of the hinges thereof as they are preferably constructed, these sections being shown also as parts of the hood in F ig. 5. Terminal sections of the hood and also the two adjoining sections of the ventilator-deck when provided are furnished with guides a, in which is mounted a slide-rod C, having bolts p attached thereto for engagement with keepers rt, secured to the opposing terminal section of the hood or the ventilator-deck thereof, the rod having a handle q on the front end thereof. The sections of the hood are preferably provided with rubbers /f' and /r/ on the outer sides of the ends thereof and intermediately, if desired, to prevent contact of the painted exterior surfaces of the hood when folded.

It is desirable that each one of the two principal parts of the hood be composed of the necessary number of -sections to permit of the terminal section being' folded upon the others right side up, as are the sections of the ventilator-deck, (indicated by s s in Fig. 4.) In this figure the apertured end parts of the ventilator-deck are omitted in order to avoid obscuring parts of the other sections.

Suitable provision'is made for holding the folded parts of the hood together, as by means of straps t, which may be secured to various suitable supports about the engine-frame, so as to extend outwardly when needed and down over the folded hood parts, to be fastened to hooks u or other devices attached to the vehicle or engine frame. Obviously suitable covers may be provided to keep dust off of the folded hood during long trips.

jWhen engines are water-cooled, the ventilator-deck may be omitted, but is desirable for covering air-cooled engines and may be made stationary and the remainder of the hood latched thereto.

In practical use the hood will ordinarily be connected together by the latching devices that may be provided above the engine, and when itis desired to have access to the engine the latching devices may be disconnected and either one or both of the two principal parts of the hood may be folded down on the fixed base part /t or /t out of theI way. I/Vhen starting out on long trips, when it is usually difficult to keep the engine or engines cool, the entire hood may be folded down and secured, as in Fig. 4, permitting' free air to pass over and about the engines. In case of rains or when stops are made the hood may be quickly drawn up over the engines and latched.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is l. An automobile provided with a folding' hood comprising two principal parts secured at opposite sides of the engine machinery thereof, each part composed of a plurality of sections hinged together and folding down one upon another, and latching devices connected to the terminal sections of the two principal parts of the hood for connecting the two parts of the hood together over the engine machinery.

2. An automobile provided with a folding hood for the engine machinery thereof and comprising two principal parts each part composed of a plurality of sections hinged together and supported at either side of the engine machinery, a ventilator-deck rising above the body of the hood, latching devices for holding the hood over the engine machinery, and supports for the hood.

3. An automobile provided with a folding hood for the engine machinery thereof and comprising two principal parts anchored at either side of the engine machinery and joined detachably together above the engine machinery, movable latches connecting the two principal parts together, each principal part being composed of a plurality of sections hinged together, and means for binding the sections of the principal parts together when folded at the sides of the engine machinery.

4. A folding automobile-hood including two principal parts each part comprising a plurality of sections .hinged together, one of the sections of each part being a base-section and suitably secured at either side of the engine machinery of the vehicle, the two parts of the hood joining together above the engine machinery, and latching devices connected to the terminal sections of the hood and connecting' the two sections detachably together above the engine machinery.

5. A folding automobile-hoodincluding two principal parts each part comprising a plurality of sections hinged together, one of the sections of each part beinga base-section and iixedlysecured at either side of the engine machinery of the vehicle, alternate hinges of the sections projecting outwardly and the remaining alternating hinges of the sections projecting inwardly toward the engine machinery.

6. A flexible automobile-hood composed of a multiplicity of connected sections, one of the sections thereof being suitably supported opposite the engine machinery of the automobile andthe remaining sections being movable toward and from the supported section covering and uncovering the engine machinery.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

. HARRY RAPHAEL. EMORY D. TOPSo Vtitnesses:

WM. C. THoMrsoN, E. T. SILvIUs.

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